1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to magnetherapy and exercise devices, and more particularly to resilient filled-bladder magnetherapy articles for exercising the hand and fingers of the user and supporting the wrist of a user to provide beneficial magnetic effects while exercising the hand and fingers and performing repetitive tasks with their wrist, hand and fingers.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Magnetic therapy is becoming an increasingly popular treatment for healing and pain reduction. It has been shown in clinical tests that a magnetic field possess circulation-enhancing properties, which results in more oxygen and nutrients delivered to the cells, removal of metabolic by-products from the blood, helps promote pH balance, and may reduce stiffness, pain and inflammation.
Magnetic therapy devices utilizing permanent magnets are known in the art. Most magnetic therapy devices are merely worn on the person's body, or contain rigid magnets applied to the person's body in a massaging action, and do not provide the beneficial effect of muscular exercise.
Park, U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,507 discloses a magnetic ring made of multi-angled and coiled string which is encircled around and rolled up and down on a finger or toe or rubbed against the toes.
Chang, U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,014, Yih-Jong, U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,056, and Masuda, U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,760 disclose massage devices with a plurality of stiff magnets contained in protuberances on their outer surface.
Yamaguchi et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,272 discloses a mattress having protuberences on its surface and a damper felt layer dotted with permanent magnets.
Zablotsky et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,624 discloses a face mask made of flexible sheets of plastic material having a layer of viscous material or deformable thermoplastic material therebetween and provided with permanent magnet sheet elements which overlie forehead, temple, cheek, and mouth areas of the face.
Russell, U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,743 discloses a band or belt which is worn around a to-be-treated portion of a user's body and one or magnetizable stainless steel C-shaped clips each containing a permanent that are adjustably position on the band or belt.
Wu, U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,063 disclose a rigid massaging ball structure having a magnetic rod in the center surrounded by arch-shaped rails having a plurality of massaging elements engaged thereon with protrusions on the outer surface of the massaging elements.
Other therapeutic hand exercisers are also known in the art which fit into the palm of the hand, however they do not provide magnetic properties.
A resilient rubber hand exerciser known as the "Eggserciser" (TM) is sold by Eggstra Enterprises, Inc., of Alabaster, Ala. This device is an egg-shaped member molded of homogeneous foam rubber.
A pliable hand exerciser sold by Qualatex of Wichita, Kansas under the name "Ad Impressions" (TM) ASI 78200 is a natural latex balloon filled with hard granular particles.
Therapeutic hand exercisers known as the "Gripp" (TM) and "Thera-Gripp" (TM) are sold by Abilitations of Atlanta Ga. These devices are filled with a grain material.
Scatterday, U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,342 discloses a deformable semi-resilient grip having a filler material which includes a mixture of lubricating powder and particles.
Tarnoff, U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,190 discloses a deformable novelty toy containing a cohesive mixture of low-density microspheres and a small amount of liquid, such as water, mineral oils, glycols, etc., in an amount effective to unite the microspheres and provide cohesion and moldability.
Wrist support devices for supporting the wrist of a person performing repetitive tasks with their wrist, hand and fingers, such as using a computer mouse and typing on a keyboard are also known in the art.
There are several commercially available wrist support devices which consist of a pad formed of neoprene or homogeneous foam rubber that may be attached to a computer mouse or keyboard. These types of wrist supports are relatively stiff and non-compliant to the user's wrist. Other wrist support devices are known which utilize an outer covering or bladder filled with a gel, or with seed, grain, or other "granular" or crystalized particles.
Garcia et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,655 discloses a wrist rest support which includes a base pad that is positioned partially under the keyboard or mouse and a section extending away therefrom that has a top surface for supporting the wrists. Prokop, U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,913 discloses a wrist rest apparatus which includes an elastic envelope filled with a gelatinous material that supports the wrist and may also be heated or cooled to provide additional therapeutic effects. In some embodiments, the Hart device can be grasped with both hands and squeezed to function as an exercise means.
Hart, U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,349 discloses a wrist support system which includes an elongate cloth container and particulate material such as rice disposed within the interior of a tubular-shaped segment. The device provides a stable support for the wrist and gently massages the wrist during finger movement, and may also be heated or cooled to provide additional therapeutic effects.
Fuller, U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,255 discloses a generally cylindrical wrist rest apparatus which includes a tubular solid rigid core surrounded by a yieldable foam layer having an irregular exterior and a soft fabric outer covering. The device provides a support for the wrist and can also be grasped and squeezed to function as an exercise means.
My prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,718,655 and 5,839,992, commonly owned with this application, and hereby incorporated herein by reference, disclose resilient therapeutic hand exercisers and wrist supports containing a mass of tiny glass spheres having the consistency and appearance of a fine powder enclosed in a resilient double bladder, but do not have any magnetic properties.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular, by resilient magnetherapy articles having a powder-like filler material including magnetic elements contained within a resilient bladder for exercising the muscles of the wrist, hand, fingers and forearm of the user, and for supporting the wrist of a person performing repetitive tasks with their wrist, hand and fingers, such as using a computer mouse and typing on a keyboard, while at the same time providing the beneficial effect of magnetic therapy. A mass of tiny glass spheres having the consistency and appearance of a fine powder is enclosed in a resilient inner bladder surrounded by a resilient outer bladder and a thin layer of lubricating powder is disposed between the exterior surface of the inner bladder and interior surface of the outer bladder to prevent them from sticking together, reduce friction therebetween, and allow relative sliding movement between the surfaces when squeezed in the palm of the hand. The tiny spheres provide low resistance to relative particle movement by rolling on each other upon an increase or decrease in applied pressure. When placed on a flat surface beneath the wrist of a user, the article deforms slightly and conforms to the underside of the user's wrist to form a comfortable cradle-like support as the downward pressure of the wrist increases or decreases. As the wrist is moved relative to the flat surface, the article smoothly rolls between the wrist and the flat surface to provide a smooth massaging effect on the wrist while maintaining wrist support.